The oath formula that begins this section has the same function as that found in 1 Tim 5.21, namely, to emphasize and strengthen the instructions that follow. Furthermore, both formulas reflect liturgical language, that is, the language used in the worship of the church. There are, however, some differences between the two oath formulas: in 1 Tim 5.21 there are three elements mentioned, namely God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, whereas the present verse only mentions God and Christ Jesus. Furthermore, in the former case Christ Jesus is simply named without any elaboration, whereas here three additional aspects of Jesus are mentioned: his function as judge, his second coming, and his reign as king.

I charge you is the usual formula used to introduce specific instructions that are considered important. (For further discussion of this formula, see discussion in 1 Tim 5.21 and 2 Tim 2.14.) As Revised Standard Version shows, this formula is in the initial position in the Greek text; it seems more appropriate, however, to put it after the oath, and this is done in many translations (for example, Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Contemporary English Version).

The three aspects about Christ Jesus mentioned in the oath formula are important parts of the eschatological hope of the early church; as such they are all stated in the future tense. The idea that Christ who came as Savior will come again as judge is found in many parts of the New Testament (see, for example, Acts 10.42; 1 Peter 4.5) and soon found its way into the earliest Christian creeds (see, for example, the Apostle’s Creed). To judge in this context means to determine the innocence or guilt of someone, as well as to assign the appropriate reward or punishment. The living and the dead must be interpreted here in their literal and physical sense to refer to those who are already dead and those who will still be alive at the time of Jesus’ return. One other aspect needs to be noted, and that is, the Greek literally is “the one who is about to judge….” Some have interpreted this to refer to the imminent return of Christ, a belief that was generally held in the early church. There are others, however, who hold the view that this grammatical form is simply another general way of talking about the future.

The expression his appearing clearly refers to the Parousia, or the second coming of Christ, at which time he will begin to function as judge. For a similar use of this term, see 1 Tim 6.14.

As to kingdom, it is part of the belief of the early church that, at his second coming, Christ will not only judge the world but will also establish his sovereignty, with the result that all creation will acknowledge him as sovereign Lord. In view of this it is more appropriate to translate kingdom as a verb; for example, “to rule,” “to reign.” It is even possible to do what Good News Translation has done, which is to connect appearing with kingdom; hence “because he is coming to rule as king.” In fact, all three elements can be put together, which would result in a restructuring like the following: “who will come again to rule as king and to judge all people, both living and dead.” In many languages it will be helpful to put all the information about Christ Jesus at the beginning of the verse, thus avoiding a long, complicated sentence as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. So one may restructure the verse as follows:
• When Christ Jesus comes to rule as king (or, high chief), he will judge both the people who are alive and those who have died. So, with God and Christ as witnesses (or, looking on), I solemnly urge you ….

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .